BACKGROUND: Tumor growth is accelerated in surgical wounds. However, few experiments seeking to prevent such accelerated tumor growth have been performed. METHODS: We created surgical wounds in three syngeneic mice for the implantation of three murine cancer cell lines, SCC VII, CT-26, and B16F10. The tumor growth in the wound group was compared with that in non-wound-control mice. Celecoxib or indomethacin was administered to the mice that had tumor implanted into the surgical wound to observe the tumor-suppressive effect. RESULTS: The surgical wounds promoted tumor growth with different degrees, depending on the type of tumor. Such an accelerated tumor growth did not seem to be affected by cyclooxygenase-2 expression of tumors per se, but its mechanism needs to be explained by further studies. Celecoxib and indomethacin had a significant inhibitory effect on the tumor growth in the surgical wound. This suppressive effect is most obvious when celecoxib is administered daily from 1 day before surgical wounding and tumor implantation. CONCLUSION: Our results can justify that the preventive use of celecoxib in patients in whom local recurrence by tumor contamination is predicted.